GPS

[will]

Anyone using gps? would be gratefull of any advice ,Somethihg that i could use for finding lanes when trail riding would be good

[Stormforce8]

Anyone using gps? would be gratefull of any advice ,Somethihg that i could use for finding lanes when trail riding would be good

Join the TRF to get the best info from your local group - or if you want to research yourself, find out where your local 'definitive map' is held - then copy the routes over to your own maps.

An example of my local one is here

You can then upload them into your GPS whilst customising the waypoints and routes.

There are also a couple of online sites in the UK that sell local 'green lane' routes - but I figure they're free if you go and explore yourself.

[will]

Hi allready in TRF last 10 years got maps all marked up but with nerc bill navigation is even more important wondered which is best for mounting on bike ,ease of use etc

[Stormforce8]

OK - I think you'll get a raft of info now - I'm sure pretty much any & every connotation of GPS has been tried, tested & mounted by forum members.

Myself I use a basic Garmin GPSV on a Ram Mount - but then I usually leave the serious, not getting lost navigation to my buddys who have the full bells & whistles latest kit with included kitchen sink

[russh]

hi,

I've got a Garmin Street 2610, this I don't find very good for green laning, unless I'm doing something wrong the majority of the trails don't show up, I can put them in as a series of waypoints but not as tracks.

A work colleague has a HP PDA, not sure of the exact model with a GPS aerial and a copy of Memory Map. with this you can buy OS area maps (at a price) and download them onto the PDA, this then shows you your position on the OS map. I'm not to sure how quickly the display refreshed, any limitations with the setup in the field etc. I'm going to have a good look at this system sometime soon and post my opinions, (after the easter hols. though as today is my last day at work for a couple of weeks )

I know you can get RAM mounts for PDA's when they are used like this.

Also there is a useful site way-finder.co.uk which lists a lot of green lanes and from here you can download Track Explorer which as far as I know enables you to download right of way data into Memory Map.

however I maybe totally wrong

[Jenna]

we use memory map pritty well every day and its a good system if you can get all the maps you need ( were upto 250+!) it works very well as a rolling map on a pda or lappy and thanks to an extensive route mapping menu its fantastic for doing green laning.

otterbox make a plastic case with a rubber front that means you can run the software on a pda and still get acess to the buttons, as yet we havent gone this far on a bike but i know quite a few that have.

i did write a tutorial for MM a while back it should still be available on:
http://forum.landrover.org/forums/topic.cfm?topic=1658

[Mudwiz]

Cheap and cheerful is the Garmin Foretrex 101 (AAA batteries) or 201 (built in rechary battery). Doesn't carry maps itself, but use software like memory map or anquet (my choice) to "write" the route, and copy to the unit. Unit should be less than £100, and the half of GB you want can be £60 or so on ebay.

Can be very accurate, run along side papermaps, the unit gives OSGB refs to 10 fig, and also can act as a speedo/distance/time etc unit, that I've found useful on rallies and h+h's.

[Pigglet]

At the mo there are no really robust GPS units that you can load detailed off-road cartography onto.
I have a 2610 for road use and a Garmin GPS 60CSX for trail riding, mountain biking etc,
The garmin 60 series are an awesome bit of kit, the SAS use em. they start at about £150 for the basic one then go up to about £400 for the top of the range unit.
I chose the CSX because it uses a memory card so for about £30 you can buy 1GB of memory which is enough to log a big ride when someone else is navigating, as well as holding CN v8 with all of the Uk (same maps as on your 2610). I then use memory map to plot a route and up load it to the GPS.
The route you've plotted is shown on the screen when your off-road but the villages and detail from CN v8 is there too to give you an idea of location in relation to surrounding villages etc. You can also use the find facility as with a 2610 to search for the neatrest pub, fuel stop etc.
We tried a PDA but found it too fragile for use on a bike, it kept crashing and needing a hard re-set.
My GPS 60 has never missed a beat when strapped to my KTM, bucking around at 60-70 off-road, it's been dropped ina puddle and even thrown 20ft into a field when i hit a wall
If you use decent rechargeable batteries they last for ages, even though it has a colur screen and the latest generation of recievers lock onto sats super quick and hold the signal even in woods.
Highly recomended

[DaveS]

Dell Axim X50v PDA, Memory Map Software, 4GB SD Card (Holds the whole of the UK Ordance Survey Maps), RAM Waterproof PDA Box.
The box requires some modification but it works well.

The only PITA thing is the MemoryMap software which doesn't rotate the maps depending on your direction which after SatNav software really does my head in and makes it difficult to determine which direction your going in unless you're keeping an eye on things, which is difficult when you're trying to ride as well! Later software may solve this.